On 1 August 2019, the ground-breaking ceremony was held for the new HEGLA production site in Stockbridge, Henry County, Georgia (USA). In a jovial, buoyant atmosphere, the representatives of the LEWAG Holding AG Executive Board, Jochen Hesselbach, Frank Schürmann, and Andreas Wiegran, HEGLA Group CEO Bernhard Hötger, and HEGLA Corp. CEO Elmar Zeidler laid the cornerstone of the new production site while Mayor Anthony Ford, the entire HEGLA Corp. team, and other officials and people involved in the project looked on.

Strengthening HEGLA’s presence in North America

Since the establishment of HEGLA in Germany in 1976, which was following in 1995 by that of the HEGLA Corp. and a series of other sales and service branches, HEGLA has grown to become one of the world’s leading providers of high-quality machines and systems for the flat glass industry. North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico) is HEGLA’s biggest export market, and HEGLA Corp. recorded more than 35 million USD in sales in 2018. “HEGLA Corp. plays a huge role in our success, and they have proven their importance to the HEGLA Group as a whole. This has encouraged us to strengthen our presence in North America so that our customers here can enjoy more efficient access to our resources and the same reliability we provide throughout our Group,” declared Jochen Hesselbach, Chair of the LEWAG Holding AG Executive Board, in his welcome speech. Hesselbach went on to explain that the new US headquarters in Stockbridge would further improve the subsidiary’s existing service network and customer contact, saying that the local production facility would allow HEGLA Corp. to assemble and commission machine components shipped over from Germany on site. “As the number of machines in the US market that are running every day increases, we are also seeing a boom in our service and spare parts business. Many of our customers expect HEGLA to be available 24/7, and we always strive to meet that expectation,” Hesselbach explained.

Image 1: Jochen Hesselbach (LEWAG Holding AG Executive Board) giving his welcome speech at the ground-breaking ceremony for the new HEGLA Corp. site in Stockbridge

 

 

SteelCo Buildings Inc. wins bid for new construction

The representatives of LEWAG Holding AG and the HEGLA Group wanted to find a location close to the current HEGLA Corp. headquarters in Forest Park. The local authorities in Stockbridge were very helpful in this search, promising to make the planning permit process as quick and easy as possible – a promise they more than delivered on. The general building commission has been awarded to SteelCo Buildings Inc., a firm known for the reliability and thoroughness it applies to its projects. Everyone is looking forward to a fruitful partnership that will enable them to complete the construction project together with SteelCo Buildings Inc.

Image 2: The atmosphere is buoyant as the ground is broken: Frank Schürmann (third from left) (LEWAG Holding AG Executive Board), Jochen Hesselbach (LEWAG Holding AG Executive Board) with his son, A. Hesselbach, Elmar Zeidler (HEGLA Corp. CEO), and Bernhard Hötger (HEGLA Group CEO).

 

Grand opening planned for May 2020

The building, which will have around 3,050 m² of office and warehouse space, is due to be completed by April 2020. The grand opening ceremony, which will include a live demonstration of the final assembly process for customers and interested visitors, will follow in May. “Over the course of the next 12 to 18 months, we hope to create around 30 new jobs at the site, thus bringing the HEGLA Corp. workforce up to almost 50 employees,” explained Bernhard Hötger, CEO of the HEGLA Group. The aim will be to keep expanding the production site; hopefully doubling its size in a few years’ time. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their dedicated support – we wouldn’t have been able to get this project off the ground so quickly without you,” said Jochen Hesselbach at the conclusion of his speech. “We look forward to watching our new HEGLA site grow.”

Image 3: Everyone looks forward to watching the new HEGLA Corp. site grow. Jochen Hesselbach (second from left) (LEWAG Holding AG Executive Board) with son, Bernhard Hötger (HEGLA Group CEO), Frank Schürmann (LEWAG Holding AG Executive Board), and Elton Alexander (Stockbridge City Council).

 

Image 4: (left to right) Elton Alexander (Stockbridge City Council), Elmar Zeidler (HEGLA Corp. CEO), David Linton (Henry County Dev. Auth.), Neat Robinson (Stockbridge City Council), Reggie Sylvain (Henry County Dev. Auth.) (Leah Brown (Henry County Dev. Auth.), Pierre Clement (Henry County Dev. Auth. Chairman), Anthony Ford (Mayor of Stockbridge), Nico Swart (Rödl & Partner).

 

Image 5: Animation of the future HEGLA Corp. production site in Stockbridge, Henry County, Georgia (USA). Animation: SteelCo Building Inc.